Our deep local pages
Three cities have full pages with local soil, code and hail detail:
- Derby, KS — Derby adopted the 2024 IRC in December 2025, requires a city permit even under 200 sq ft and has a design-match rule above it (Ord. 2623).
- Maize, KS — northwest suburb on the track of the September 15, 2010 giant-hail storm; permits start at City Hall, with MABCD behind them.
- Goddard, KS — western suburb where the 2010 hail swath began (NWS).
Which permit rules apply where?
Permit thresholds are set city by city. We confirm the rule for your address before we design. Where a row says "not confirmed," we found no published threshold, so check with the city or county before you build.
| Jurisdiction | Who issues / code | Building-permit exemption (one-story detached) | What you still need | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Wichita | MABCD; 2018 IRC | ≤200 sq ft | Location permit from MABCD before installation; inspection after; anchoring if 25–400 sq ft | Ord. 50-833 |
| Unincorporated Sedgwick County | MABCD; 2018 IRC | ≤400 sq ft | Location permit from MABCD (no follow-up inspection); anchoring if 25–400 sq ft | Res. 080-2017 |
| Derby | City of Derby; 2024 IRC | ≤200 sq ft | City accessory-structure permit before installation. The city's July 2025 form still says 119 sq ft, so call Derby's planning office to confirm which threshold they apply. At 200 sq ft or more, the structure must match the house in at least two design features | Ord. 2623; form; zoning |
| Maize | City intake; MABCD has jurisdiction (Ord. 862); 2018 IRC | On paper ≤400 sq ft, with no location permit, under the county-jurisdiction rule for contract cities | The city's permits page says sheds generally need a permit. Start with Maize City Hall | Maize code; Maize permits |
| Goddard | City of Goddard (MABCD contract city); code still adopts the 2012 IRC | Likely ≤200 sq ft under the adopted 2012-era text; confirm with Goddard | Zoning permit over 120 sq ft; storage-type accessory buildings capped at 280 sq ft unless the BZA approves a conditional use; 3 ft rear setback; 10 ft from the house | Goddard code; Res. 080-2017; Goddard zoning |
| Andover (Butler Co.) | City Building Dept.; Wichita–Sedgwick County code on "Wichita Jurisdiction" terms | ≤200 sq ft, with location approval | City zoning permit over 120 sq ft; accessory buildings capped at 200 sq ft (300 in SF-2, 500 in SF-1); 5 ft rear setback; 10 ft from the house | Andover code; Andover zoning |
| Haysville | City (Dept. of Public Works); 2018 IRC | Under 100 sq ft, if outside floodplain, easements and setbacks | Side or rear yard only; 3 ft from lot lines and from the house | Haysville code; Haysville zoning |
| Park City | City (Planning Dept.); 2021 IRC | ≤120 sq ft | Larger greenhouses need a city building permit | Park City code |
| Valley Center | City issues and inspects all residential permits | None found; the city says a building permit is required for any new construction | Zoning permit for accessory structures over 100 and under 200 sq ft; 288 sq ft cap on lots up to 20,000 sq ft unless the BZA approves more; 10 ft rear setback; 5 ft from the house | Valley Center permits; zoning |
| Rose Hill (Butler Co.) | City Building Official; borrows Derby's residential code | Not confirmed | Older zoning text required a zoning permit over 180 sq ft and capped storage buildings at 400 sq ft; current thresholds unconfirmed, so check with the city | Rose Hill code; 2011 zoning |
| Newton (Harvey Co.) | City; 2018 IRC | Code says ≤100 sq ft, but the city FAQ says all accessory buildings need a permit, so plan to apply | 10 ft from the house; 3–7 ft from lot lines; anchored; over 150 sq ft needs a permanent foundation 30 in. deep | Newton code; Newton FAQ |
| Rural Butler County | County Dept. of Building Inspection; 2006 IRC-based county code | Not stated in the county code; confirm with the county | District setbacks, e.g. 25 ft from side and rear lines in Rural Residential | Butler code; setbacks |
| Rural Harvey County | County Zoning Administrator; no building code | None: any new structure needs a permit | Private greenhouses are a listed accessory use; up to 700 sq ft in residential districts; one story; 8 ft from the house | Harvey permits; Art. 6 |
| Hutchinson / Reno County | City; county zoning permit (Reno County enforces no building code) | Not confirmed | Check with the city or county zoning office before you build | Reno County form |
| Wellington / Sumner County | City or county | Not confirmed | Check with the city or county zoning office before you build | — |
| Kingman (city and county) | City Code Enforcement Officer; county zoning | Not confirmed | Check with the city or county zoning office before you build | Kingman code |
Agricultural land. Kansas law (K.S.A. 19-2921) exempts land used for agriculture, and agricultural buildings on that land, from county zoning. The attorney general found no acreage minimum. Floodplain rules still apply, and the opinion does not address building permits (AG Op. 2018-004). MABCD has no general ag exemption from building permits: it lists "Detached Accessory Structures or Agricultural Building" as permitted work (MABCD Permits).
Hoop houses. The Wichita–Sedgwick County code excludes residential polyethylene hoop houses from building-code requirements (Sec. 2.4.035, Unified Building & Trade Code), and Derby's code does the same. Zoning still applies, and rigid poly or glass greenhouses are not covered. Full detail is in our permit guide.
Sedgwick County suburbs
Andover (Butler County)
Andover sits about 11 miles east of downtown Wichita and is the largest city in Butler County (Wikipedia). Andover issues its own permits under the Wichita-area code on "Wichita Jurisdiction" terms: up to 200 sq ft can skip a building permit with location approval, and anything over 120 sq ft needs a city zoning permit. Most lots cap accessory buildings at 200 sq ft and require 5 ft from the rear line and 10 ft from the house (Andover zoning). East-side soils lean toward the clay series described below, so plan for drainage around the footprint.
Haysville
Haysville is a southern suburb about 9 miles south of downtown. The 2010 giant-hail supercell tracked southeast past Maize, Goddard and western Wichita, then near Haysville and Derby (NWS). That makes glazing the first decision here. Compare impact ratings in our hail-resistant glazing guide. Haysville issues its own permits, and only a detached accessory building under 100 sq ft, kept out of setbacks, easements and floodplains, is exempt (Haysville code).
Valley Center (Equus Beds)
Valley Center is about 10 miles north of downtown, at the edge of the Equus Beds aquifer that underlies northwest Sedgwick and southwest Harvey counties (USGS). The local build consideration is water: a shallow water table rules out a deep pit greenhouse, and a private well is a real irrigation option. Our Equus Beds water guide covers both. Valley Center issues and inspects all residential permits itself and says a building permit is required for any new construction (Valley Center).
Park City
Park City is a northern suburb, about 8 miles north of downtown along I-135. It runs its own code: Park City adopted the 2021 IRC and exempts one-story detached accessory structures up to 120 sq ft, so larger greenhouses need a city permit (Park City code). Low ground in the Arkansas River valley north of Wichita can be Canadian–Waldeck sandy alluvium. The Canadian soil drains well, but its Waldeck partner can carry a seasonal water table about 2–3 feet down (NRCS soil data). We check which soil you're on before designing anything below grade.
East Wichita and Rose Hill (clay soils)
East and south of the city, NRCS maps clay series such as Irwin, Tabler and Rosehill — high shrink-swell, hydrologic soil group D (NRCS soil data). Clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry can heave a slab and rack a frame. We favor piers set below the 24-inch frost depth plus drainage away from the footprint; see greenhouse foundations. Rose Hill is in Butler County, about 14 miles southeast of downtown (Wikipedia). It issues its own permits under codes borrowed from Derby, and its current thresholds are unconfirmed, so check with the city before you build (Rose Hill code).
Surrounding counties
Our core service area is Sedgwick County and towns within about 30 miles of Wichita. Hutchinson, Wellington, Kingman and other outer-county projects are case by case.
Newton and Harvey County
Newton, the Harvey County seat, is 25 miles north of Wichita on I-135 (Wikipedia). Southwest Harvey County sits over the Equus Beds, so the same water-table caution applies as in Valley Center. Before planning an underground greenhouse here, find out how deep the water is on your parcel. Newton's code exempts accessory buildings of 100 sq ft or less, but the city FAQ says all sheds need a permit, so plan to apply (Newton FAQ). Rural Harvey County has no building code but requires a permit for any new structure, and it lists private greenhouses as an allowed accessory use (Harvey County).
Wellington and Sumner County
Wellington, the Sumner County seat, is about 29 miles south of downtown Wichita (Wikipedia). Rural sites here are often open to the wind on every side, so anchoring matters as much as glazing. We found no published threshold for Wellington or rural Sumner County; check with the city or county zoning office before you build.
Hutchinson and Reno County
Hutchinson, the Reno County seat, lies on the Arkansas River about 40 miles northwest of Wichita. The Equus Beds aquifer underlies Hutchinson as well as Newton and Wichita (Wikipedia). Water quality and depth are the site questions. Reno County enforces no building code but uses a county zoning permit; Hutchinson's threshold is unconfirmed. Check with the city or county zoning office before you build.
Kingman
Kingman, the Kingman County seat, is about 43 miles west of downtown Wichita (Wikipedia). Rural acreage here often raises the agricultural-exemption question above. We found no published size exemption for the city or county; check with the city or county zoning office before you build.
Frequently asked questions
Do you build outside Sedgwick County?
Yes, within about 30 miles of Wichita, which reaches into parts of Butler and Harvey counties. Hutchinson, Wellington, Kingman and other outer-county projects are case by case. Tell us your address on the quote form.
Is the permit threshold the same in every suburb?
No. Wichita exempts up to 200 sq ft from a building permit, with a location permit. Unincorporated Sedgwick County exempts up to 400 sq ft, also with a location permit. Derby exempts up to 200 sq ft but still requires an accessory structure permit. Park City's line is 120 sq ft, Haysville's is under 100, and Valley Center requires a permit for any new construction. Goddard requires a zoning permit over 120 sq ft and caps storage-type accessory buildings at 280 sq ft.
Can I build an underground greenhouse anywhere in the area?
Not everywhere. Sandy river-valley soils and the Equus Beds area can have shallow water tables. We check the soil and water depth first.
Which part of the area gets the most hail?
Hail falls across the whole metro. The September 2010 giant-hail storm tracked across Maize, Goddard and west Wichita, then near Haysville and Derby.
Get a quote
Tell us your address and what you want to build. We'll confirm which rules apply and what your site needs.